COEN BROS WANT THE DUDE FOR ‘TRUE GRIT’

Charles Portis is sort of a cult-favorite writer whose best-known work is probably True Grit, which spawned a movie adaptation that won John Wayne an Oscar in 1969. Portis has been called a more comedic version of Cormac McCarthy, whose book No Country for Old Men won the Coen Brothers a best picture Oscar in 2007. Now the Coens are re-adapting True Grit, and Variety reports that they’re in talks with The Dude himself, Jeff Bridges, for the lead.

For the unfamiliar, True Grit follows a 14-year-old girl, who tags along with a U.S. Marshal, Rooster Cogburn (Bridges) as they attempt to track down her father’s murderer, who is something of a drunk. But the murderer is not anyone that the police want to mess with, so Rooster is all she’s got. A Texas Ranger named La Boeuf also joins the manhunt; Cogburn and La Boeuf dont’ care for each other, but in the pursuit of the murderer, they bond.

The 1969 John Wayne movie was told from the perspective of Cogburn; the Coens version, like the novel, will tell it from the perspective of the 14-year-old girl (presumably, like the novel, as an extended flashback). [Pajiba]

I hope they not only tell it from the perspective of a 14-year-old girl, but contemporize it and have it unfold via her Twitter feed. OMG, you guyz, Rooster cockbreath & the Shia Labuff guy tooootally aren’t getting along! We beter find daddy’s killer soon, i have joBros tickets for tomorrow >:-T

I’ll never forget that classic line from the original, “He peed on the Duke’s rug!”

By: Påüłÿ Ðąηgęrσűşľγ

09.11.2009 @ 1:40 PM

The Duke abides.

By: Crapbasket

09.11.2009 @ 1:44 PM

GODDAMMIT FUCKING UPROXX FUCKED UP EVERY ONE OF THEIR SITES FOR ME DURING THAT “FIX!” WTF, IE 7 USERS GET NO IMAGES AND HAVE DIGG TOOLS SPILLING HALFWAY DOWN THE COMMENTS SECTION?! FUCKING AWESOME GUYS!! FUUUUUCCK!

By: Jacktion!

09.11.2009 @ 1:44 PM

*shakes fist at sky*

ROOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOSSSSSSSTTTTTTTTTTEEEEEEEEERRRRRRRRRRR!

By: Jacktion!

09.11.2009 @ 1:45 PM

In the Coens remake, Mr. Cogburn will drive a Neverending Story Van.

By: Crapbasket

09.11.2009 @ 1:45 PM

Rooster is going to legally change his name to Cogburn because that’s better than Rapeburn.

By: Crapbasket

09.11.2009 @ 1:47 PM

[crosses swords with Jack!]

By: Fek'lhr

09.11.2009 @ 1:49 PM

The 14 yo girl is not The Dudke’s “special lady”, he’s just trying to help her conceive.

By: Crapbasket

09.11.2009 @ 1:50 PM

Rooster’s mom: What should we name little Jr Jeb?
R’s dad: Well, he has a little pecker and the fucker wakes me up every morning making a shitpile of racket…uh…
R’s mom: How about Rooster.
R’s d: Cool whatever, I gonna go fuck a goat. See ya!

By: Mark It Zero

09.11.2009 @ 1:52 PM

Shut the fuck up, Wyatt.

By: Mark It Zero

09.11.2009 @ 1:53 PM

They better not release this on a Saturday.

By: Crapbasket

09.11.2009 @ 1:54 PM

Cogburn and La Boeuf sounds like the gayest buddy cop TV show eeeevaaaaarrr!

By: Crapbasket

09.11.2009 @ 2:00 PM

Oh man, how you gonna keep ’em down on the farm once they’ve seen Rooster Cogburn.

By: Crapbasket

09.11.2009 @ 2:02 PM

Rooster: I’m here to fence your fences.

By: Oski

09.11.2009 @ 2:02 PM

If John Wayne was alive today he’d call Glenn Beck a commie.

By: Donkey Hodey

09.11.2009 @ 2:02 PM

Rooster (after capturing a saloon full of outlaws): That rope really ties the whole room together.

By: Crapbasket

09.11.2009 @ 2:03 PM

Wow… fence #1 = mend, Crappy = too sober for this shit

By: chodin

09.11.2009 @ 2:03 PM

Rooster: “How’s the sex?”

14-year-old girl: “I feel nothing, La Boeuf.”

By: Crapbasket

09.11.2009 @ 2:05 PM

THIS IS WHAT HAPPENS WHEN YOU FUCK A STRANGER IN THE BADLANDS!!!

By: Donkey Hodey

09.11.2009 @ 2:05 PM

Keep your ugly fucking goldbrickin’ ass outta Deadwood.

By: Burnsy

09.11.2009 @ 2:09 PM

Sure, but I team up with a 14-year old girl and they name a fucking law after her.

By: Erswi

09.11.2009 @ 2:15 PM

Not fair? Who’s the fucking territorialist now?

By: Erswi

09.11.2009 @ 2:19 PM

Norwegian Up.

By: Fek'lhr

09.11.2009 @ 2:53 PM

No love for the conceive, huh? Thought I stuck that landing. :/ Maybe you guys just aren’t into illegal underage sex any more?

By: John Wayne in a Devo Hat

09.11.2009 @ 2:59 PM

Jeff Bridges in a Devo hat just doesn’t pack the same punch so fuck you, Coens.